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Top Poetry Events In Colorado

April 1, 2013 1:00 AM

(credit: Mercury Cafe)

April is National Poetry Month, so this is the perfect time to get out and explore all of the great places in Denver to learn about the art of poetry, listen to some emerging artists or even share your own works. There are several spots in town that offer open-mic nights for poetry enthusiasts to bring poems to share, or you can just attend and listen to the talented people offering up their poetic thoughts. No matter how you choose to celebrate National Poetry Month, at least take some time this month to revisit your own favorite poets, read them to your family and then take a look at some of these great spots to celebrate in Denver.

One of the best places in town to meet other local poets and hear their work is at the Mercury Cafe, with two different weekly nights to share and read poetry. On Friday nights, there is a free open-mic night. You simply arrive at 9:45 p.m. to sign up with the host, and the event starts at 10 p.m. It’s free and a great way to test out your new works, or just sit back and enjoy the show. Sunday nights, the Mercury Cafe offers a Poetry Slam starting at 8 p.m. The cost is just $5. Mercury Cafe’s Slam Team has been a finalist in the National Competition every year for the past 10 years, including winning the title in 2006. Clearly, this is the right spot to visit to learn more about slam poetry and hear some amazing talent.

Ziggies is best known for hosting a lot of great live music from local bands. However, on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month, Ziggies is offering Performance Poetry for poets to take the stage. Hosted by local published poet Julie Cummings, there is a lot of tremendous talent taking the stage at this poetry festival. You can sign up as early at 6 p.m. and a featured poet takes the stage at 6:15 p.m. followed by open readings for the rest of the evening.

The Cottonwood Center for the Arts is a community of more than 70 visual artists, offering courses, studio space and various events. This visual art space hosts this exciting event, described as an interactive night of poetry, art and music. 15 poets will perform a short poem during the event with a $50 cash prize for the winner. For those that are poetry lovers, the drive to the Springs will be worth it, and you are sure to hear some great new poems from emerging artists.

Join featured poets M.D. Friedman and Wayne Gilbert for this evening celebrating poetry, and bring your own works to share. Friedman is a well-known poet and teacher from Lafayette and is influenced by such poets as William Butler Yeats. He’s been published in several poetry magazines and is currently publishing his fifth volume of poetry. The second featured poet, Wayne Gilbert, is a teacher at the University of Colorado Denver and a published poet with several credits to his name. Bring your poetry to share and enjoy this free evening celebrating the art of poetry.

Every two months, on the second Friday of that month, The Collection Gallery opens its doors to artists of all types to come and share their work. The open-mic format allows artists of all types to bring visual, music and performing arts to share with their fellow enthusiasts. It is the perfect spot to bring your poetry and share your creativity with a creative and like-minded group. There is sure to be a large variety of entertainment, from music to poetry, and everyone will be able to share.

Deborah Flomberg is a theater professional, freelance writer and Denver native. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.